This invention relates to racks for supporting items in a highly visible and readily accessible position for display and sale to the public. In particular, the present invention relates to such a display rack including at least one removable shelf having front hooks which are rotatively and slidably moveable within an adjustment zone such that the front hooks may engage a plurality of selected sets of front apertures in order to dispose the shelf in various different inclined positions.
A wide variety of display devices have been designed and manufactured for use in merchandising shelved products to consumers. A major disadvantage of prior art shelving designs is a lack easily adjustable shelves. When adjustable shelves are provided, the range of adjustment is limited, the act of adjusting of the shelves is complicated and the shelves are not stable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,971, issued to Boron, et al., describes an adjustable shelf support structure for use in product merchandising display equipment which includes members that telescopingly engage each other such that the members can be moved relative to one another to change the overall width of the support shelf. These members further include a mechanism for varying the effective length of opposing sides of the shelf. A plurality of hooks are provided and one is disposed at each corner of the shelf. The hooks are rotationally and slidingly moveable with respect to the members such that the hooks may engage existing display equipment so as to orient the shelf in either a substantially flat horizontal position or an inclined position for gravity feed operations. The hooks are freely moveable with respect to the members such that the shelf hangs from the hooks. Connecting the shelf to the support is difficult because each hook is independently moveable with respect to the other. Thus, control of the shelf during installation is compromised. Further, there is no structure in connection with the shelf which locks the shelf in place to prevent disengagement of the hooks as a result of unintentional jostling. Accordingly, the shelf of this invention is not stable and product may be damaged as a result.
Further disadvantages of prior art display racks include an apparatus where clips are attached to the upright supports so that the shelf may be disposed thereupon. In this manner, the shelf may be positioned at various different heights and inclinations. However, this design is not easily adjustable as a user must manually support or remove the shelf in order to reposition the support clips into the newly desired position.
Therefore, there is a need for a multi-position display rack having adjustable shelves which are exceptionally simple and economical, sturdy, and lockable into the desired position.